Protein sources in the human food chain, such as, eggs, raw meats, poultry, game birds, milk and dairy products, fish, shrimp, frog legs, and the like, carry the potential for nourishment and the potential for illness and death. Edible vegetation in the human diet, such as fruit, vegetables, and crops harvested and handled in contaminated environments can also carry the potential for illness and death. Well-known pathogens such as salmonella, listeria and e-coli, as well as indicator and spoilage organisms, including staph bacteria can be found prior and during the processing or harvesting of raw meats, fruit, vegetables or in partially cooked foodstuffs and animal products consumed by humans.
The globalization of business, travel and communication brings increased attention to worldwide exchanges between communities and countries, including the potential globalization of the bacterial ecosystem. Harmful bacteria were once controlled with antibiotics, such as penicillin, in the mid-1940s; but the control no longer exists as more and more antibiotic resistant bacteria appear around the globe. For example, before 1946 about 90 percent of Staphylococcus aureus isolates in hospitals were susceptible to penicillin, by 1952, 75 percent of isolates were penicillin-resistant. Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents has emerged, throughout the world, as one of the major threats both in human and veterinary medicine. Resistance to antibiotics and antimicrobial agents has emerged at an alarming rate because of a variety of factors, such as clustering and overcrowding, the use of antibiotics in animal culture and aquaculture, an increase in the number of elderly people, increased traveling, the sale of antibiotics over the counter, self-treatment with antibiotics, a lack of resources for infection control, and the inappropriate use of antibiotics.
Thus, the world population is at increased risk for acquiring antimicrobial-resistant foodborne infections. Even a small increase in the prevalence of resistance in the most significant pathogenic bacteria may lead to large increases in the potential for treatment failures and other adverse outcomes, including death.
Appropriate use of antimicrobial agents in humans and food animals is necessary to maintain the antimicrobial effectiveness and reduce the potential for the spread of resistant organisms. While therapeutic usage of antimicrobial agents in food animals is important to promote animal health and provide an affordable supply of meat, milk, and eggs, it is vital that the long-term effectiveness of antimicrobial agents used in human medicine be preserved. The present invention provides an antimicrobial processing aid and food additive for which there is no known resistance and can be used to protect public health.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,989,595 and 6,242,011 B1 to Cummins, an acidic composition of matter is disclosed that is useful for destroying microorganisms that spoil food, such as fish. The composition of matter, patented by Cummins, is also useful for skin treatment of melanoma and the treatment of other bacteria, and serves as the precursor for the novel antimicrobial agent of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,911 to Brinton et al. describe that a simple copper salt, hydroxycarboxylic acid and a buffering agent such as ammonium salts can be solubilized in drinking water for turkeys and swine in an antidiarrheal effective dosage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,737 B1 to Hei et al. describe an antimicrobial composition for the food industry that may include sulfuric acid, sulfates and an ammonium halide salt to provide a gel-thickened compound for cleaning and sanitizing surfaces among other uses. The use of a halide ingredient limits usage for ingestion by man or animals and would be deleterious to machinery, plants and other vegetation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,893 B1 to Jones et al. describe an aqueous disinfectant for swimming pools and the like, wherein copper sulfate pentahydrate, water, sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate are combined in a “cold process” requiring that the formulation be maintained at a temperature above 40° F. to keep metallic ions in suspension.
U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2003/0118705 A1 to Cook et al. describe an ingestible disinfectant to eradicate and control pathogens on plants, animals, humans, byproducts of plants and animals and articles infected with pathogens; the disinfectant includes sulfuric acid, water and metallic ions, particularly copper, silver and gold.
Collectively, the above documents do not provide a halogen-free composition of matter that is stable under a wide range of temperatures and pH ranges, ingestible, and effective in both pre-harvest and post-harvest treatment of foodstuffs consumed by man and other animals. The composition of the present invention is safe and effective in an unlimited number of pre-harvest and post-harvest applications and is also safe for the environment.